I'm the CEO and Co-Founder of AnchorFree Inc. I lead the execution of all business operations at AnchorFree. I was responsible for raising over $63 million in three venture financing rounds for AnchorFree and pioneered the creation of its leading product Hotspot Shield, the world's leading free ad-supported consumer VPN, that proliferates online privacy and delivers content to users world-wide. AnchorFree's Hotspot Shield has been setting new privacy standards, changing the way user data is handled online, and placing users in control on the Internet. While still a student at San Jose State University, I co-founded Intelligent Buying Inc., a profitable IT asset management company and reseller of IT enterprise networking equipment. My earlier work experience has included corporate strategy at Remedy Corporation, where I worked closely with companies such as Gartner Group, IDC, and Meta Group. Previously, I served on the Technology Expert Council as an adviser to Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco. Selected as one of the “Most Promising CEO’s Under 35” by Forbes and one of the "Top CEO's Under 30" by INC magazine, I have been a speaker on multiple panels on the topics of online privacy and security and emerging technologies. Follow @AnchorFreeDavid

Our Mobile Lives: We're Not as Safe as We Think

When it comes to securing our mobile lives, we can be callous. Sure, we take steps to protect our devices, but the realization that our browsing sessions are at risk hasn’t dawned on many of us. Thanks to our beloved smartphones, we’re doing business online more than ever before – on the bus, waiting in line at the coffee shop, or in the elevator. It’s all very convenient… and risky.

The threats we’re up against every time we enter a password, provide personal information or simply surf the Web are the same when we’re on the go as they are when we’re on our personal computers. Yet, for some reason, we’re far more cavalier and casual about our mobile activities.

A year has passed since we witnessed a significant milestone in the mobile world, when smartphone shipments outpaced those of PCs. The convenience of these devices has made them ubiquitous: my iPad has long since replaced my notebook. Touchscreen has replaced my pen and Evernote has been pretty effective at storing my notes while on the go. Still, so far, only 35 percent of American adults own a smartphone, according to a report issued this summer by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, so there’s plenty of room for growth in the mobile sector. Of those smartphone-toting Americans, a quarter reported favoring their mobile devices over a PC when it came to accessing the Internet, likely via unsecured Wi-Fi connections. This means that with greater convenience there is significantly more risk. Every cyber-criminal dreams about users on unsecured Wi-Fi networks, typing passwords into non-secure websites, and visiting domains that may not be encrypted.

The convenience and independence of our smartphones come at a price. Malware, phishing scams, sidejacking, packet sniffing – every security threat that exists on your PC – they’re now coming at you on the go. The thing is, it’s not threats to your actual device that are going to cause the most headaches, and phone manufacturers have addressed many of those concerns. It’s the fact that we’re still neglecting to secure our browsing that puts us at the greatest risk.

My company, AnchorFree, makes a free secure browsing product called Hotspot Shield (www.hotspotshield.com) that secures all Internet communications and makes browsing encrypted and private, both on computers and mobile devices, thus creating a way for consumers to stay in control while online. A secure browsing solution that makes users private and the Internet encrypted is a must-have addition to any anti-virus software that users run on computers and mobile devices. While anti-virus is key in protecting the user’s device, it is also important to protect the user’s identity, browsing and personal data online.

Internet communications are simply not secure enough and companies offering anti-virus protection have not stepped up. Awareness around mobile security lacks the urgency that surrounds Wi-Fi security. Hackers will, without a doubt, continue to focus their efforts on attacks aimed at consumers’ PCs, but with the rise of technologies such as near field communications, they may be more inclined to pick up and take their treachery mobile.

Unlike our password-protected wireless connections at home and work, our phones are constantly searching for a network – any network – to latch onto so we don’t eat into our precious data limit. What we save in data consumption, we lose in peace of mind. It’s time for consumers to take their personal privacy and security into their own hands and to secure their mobile browsing and Internet communications on mobile devices. So the next time you reach for your smartphone to take care of business or life, take as much care as you would sitting in front of your PC.

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